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...she's just putting away too much Merlot these days! LOL!

OK, seriously. I have been "hand watering" Luna since the day she got here. Of course, she gets spritzed, has a dripper but I have yet to see her drink water any other way than the big syringe that I use. B/c I am going away next week I have been making a real concerted effort to get her to use the dripper - or even lick off a leaf but I think she is accustomed to ME being her water-girl! Along with the cup dripper set up I have a hamster water bottle hanging horizontal from the top of the cage near her basking spot. It's great b/c I can angle it just right so it drips about once a minute therefore showing a drop on the shiny ball often. I have squeezed it when I know she is thristy and tried other tacks as well.

Today I decided to be firm but i still never saw her drink so when it was time I took the bottle out of the holder to use instead of the syringe so she would begin to associate IT with water instead of just ME! She drank so much - guys I was in a panic, I think she was near aspirating - it scared the living *^#! out of me! Her toungue shot out, she was gaping - anyway, she was OK, but it was really scary!

So now it seems that she truly is dependent on me. My friend who will be caring for her will do the syringe thing (hopefully Luna will be thirsty the two times/day that Deb is here) but I am a little worried after today. that with all this water around she is still dehydrating herself. It's sort of like when I had Rose my tarantula (who, btw, died during a molt Oct. 30th I miss her), you would read horror stories of a T dying from dehydration right next to its water bowl b/c it wasn't set up properly for a leg to to feel it as they moved around.

Back to Luna...what also is prompting me to write this is that this evening she would look at the water running off a leaf and opening her mouth near it, but it was like she didn;t know what to do! She also has not been eating much for several days. Her last fecal (last week) came back fine, her color is good, she is basking and doing her daily walks to the bottom of the cage looking for soil (which she can no longer get to).

Sorry this is so long but would like to know if others have had to "train" their cham to drink?!

As always, thanks

lele & Loopy Luna!
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

u better get her to therapy soon---- that merlot could prove to become an addicton!!! LOL

as for the other side.... ummm trying warm water dripping over her mouth often stimulates drinking.....

getting an automatic misting system is another option????

but yes, warm water i belive is a great way to get a chameleon to drink and not run away as well.....

good luck!!

Lele-

I have one chameleon who also will drink water only from the syringe or when outside with the automister on 30 min. intervals. What I do is drip the water on the nose and then in front of the face. When he takes interest in the water I drip it on to a near by leaf, he will follow the syringe and lick the water off the leaf. As chameleons get older there food intake will slow down. Hope this helps!
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John W. Lucas

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I wouldn't worry about it. I have a couple of chams that I have to hand water. Some of them are like that. It can get scary during vacation times. They tend to eat less as they get older too.